There exists a requirement for a fuze to detonate ordnance after the ordnance has passed through an object to be penetrated, or after it has grazed off of a target. An example is the firing of the ordnance after it has passed through the protective shell of a troop carrier.
Ordnance which explodes outside of protective armament does have utility, of course, but maximum damage is done to the occupants if the ordnance passes through the armament and explodes inside, or which after grazing or bouncing off of a target, explodes nearby, rather than surviving as a dud.
It is an object of this invention to provide a fuze for these purposes, which is mechanically simple and does not require burning fuze trains or electronic means for its actuation.